4 Problems the Panthers Can't Ignore During Their Week 5 Bye

I complained about this Week 5 bye as soon as the schedule came out. Four games and then a week off just seemed way too early, especially knowing Carolina would have to play the rest of the season without another break.

I'm starting to look at it a little differently now.

The Panthers are 2-2 and just beat Detroit in a game I didn't think they were going to win. They've also looked a whole lot better over the last three weeks than they did when Chicago put 59 points on them in the opener. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten about some of the things we've seen through four games.

There are still a few things I'd like Carolina to figure out before going to Philadelphia.

1. What Can They Do With This Secondary?

Oct 4, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams (1) makes a catch defended by Carolina Panthers safety Lathan Ransom (22) and cornerback Akayleb Evans (29) during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I'm not really sure what Carolina can do here because Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson aren't walking through the door after the bye. Both are on injured reserve, and the Panthers are going to have to make this work without them for a while.

That wasn't exactly easy against Detroit.

Jared Goff threw for 412 yards, and there were times when it felt like Detroit could get whatever it wanted through the air. I know we're talking about a really good Lions offense, and Carolina was asking guys like Will Lee III to do a lot more than anybody probably expected this early.

The good part is they made enough plays when they had to. Lee and Lathan Ransom were there on the fourth-down stop that ended Detroit's final possession, and Carolina found a way to win despite everything going on back there.

But I can't just ignore 412 passing yards because the Panthers won.

Maybe Ejiro Evero changes some things until Horn and Jackson get back. Maybe Carolina uses one of its open roster spots on another corner. Whatever they decide, I don't think they can keep asking this secondary to survive every week and hope it works out.

2. Can We Please Get the Offensive Line Healthy?

I feel like every week I'm writing about another Panthers offensive lineman getting hurt.

Taylor Moton has been out. Damien Lewis missed the Detroit game, Monroe Freeling has dealt with an injury, and Corey Bullock had to step in at left guard Sunday night. Bullock settled in, and Carolina still managed to run the ball pretty well, so I'm not complaining about what the backups have done.

I'd just like to stop finding out how many backups they have.

Moton could be getting closer to returning after the bye, and this would be a pretty good time to get him back. Young has thrown for 1,268 yards and nine touchdowns, while Carolina has been moving guys around in front of him.

I've already liked what I've seen from this offense.

Now I'd like to see it with a healthy offensive line.

3. I Still Have No Idea What This Defense Is

This is probably the one that bothers me the most.

Carolina gave up 59 points and 552 yards against Chicago, and I came out of that game wondering if the defense was going to be terrible. Then the Panthers held Atlanta to three points and Cleveland to 21, and I started thinking maybe I overreacted.

Then Detroit put up 452 yards.

I don't know what to make of that yet.

I'm not expecting Carolina to hold everybody to three points. I also don't think giving up 452 yards to Detroit is the same as what happened against Chicago because the Lions have a really good offense, and Carolina was missing a bunch of guys.

But at some point, I need to know what this defense is.

Maybe the answer is somewhere in the middle. If that's the case, fine. I just don't want to spend the next three months wondering which version is showing up every Sunday.

4. Don't Forget What Chuba Hubbard Just Did

I know I've talked about Chuba Hubbard enough already, but I'm going to do it again.

Hubbard ran for 122 yards against Detroit, and Carolina finally had the running game I've been waiting to see. Young still threw for 329 yards and two touchdowns, so it's not like getting Hubbard involved took anything away from him.

I think it actually made things easier.

That's what I don't want Carolina to forget during the bye. Young is playing really good football right now, but that doesn't mean he needs to throw it 40 or 50 times every week. If Hubbard is running the ball like he did Sunday night, give it to him.

I'm probably making this too simple, but I don't think I am.

Make teams worry about Hubbard. Then let Young work off of it.

Maybe I Was Wrong About This Bye

I'm still not going to say I love having a bye after four games. Ask me again in December, when Carolina hasn't had a week off in two months, and I'll probably be complaining about it again.

But right now, I can see how it helps.

The Panthers aren't 1-3 and trying to figure out how to save their season. They're 2-2, Young is playing the best football of his career, and they just beat a Detroit team I thought was going to come into Charlotte and beat them.

I feel a whole lot different about Carolina than I did after Week 1.

That doesn't mean the Panthers don't have problems. They do, and four games have been enough to show us what some of them are.

Now they have a week to do something about them.

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